Goodwin drops 22 in district finals

Class of 2018 Ohio State basketball commit Dane Goodwin dropped 22 points for his Upper Arlington squad on Saturday afternoon in a 64-51 win over Dublin Jerome in the Central District championship. Goodwin knocked down a couple of early three-point attempts to get some early momentum which he rode the entire game.

"I think getting off to a fast start was really what propelled us," said Goodwin after the game. "We hit a couple of shots early and get off to a fast start and just kept it rolling from there."

Goodwin has turned in arguably his two biggest performances of his high school career in his last two outings, leading Upper Arlington past perennial power Northland earlier in the week before taking the district title on Saturday. The experience he gained last year has paid off in a big way.

"I think I have improved," he explained. "I think last year in this situation I might have been overwhelmed and started thinking too much. This year I'm just trying to let the game come to me."

Things won't get any easier for Goodwin and the Golden Bears, however. Top-seeded Gahanna Lincoln is up next on Thursday in the regional semi-finals.

"We're going to need to step it up," he said. "We're going to need to bring our A game if we want to win the whole thing."

Even during the playoff run, Goodwin has kept a close eye on things at Ohio State, recently attending a game. Making the short trip over to campus as often as possible is a priority for the 6-foot-4 shooting guard as he tries to balance his high school obligations with getting acclimated to his future environment.

"I think the last game I went to was the Michigan game," he recalled. "I go there whenever I can, just trying to meet up with the players and the coaches."

More than a year after jumping on his offer from the Buckeyes, Goodwin says he is more than happy with the decision he made.

"It was just the hometown school," he said. "Being able to have all of (his family) come and watch me, that was really it, that was why I did it. I knew that is what I wanted."